Wedding fever has gripped the UK since the announcement last year of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s engagement. Much of the attention has centred on the clothing and accessories that the bride-to-be will don for the special occasion, which will take place on April 29th.
Meanwhile, the ring handed to her has also received considerable coverage in the media. The item of jewellery is the one the late Princess Diana wore when she got engaged.
One business that has decided to cash in on the public interest in the royal nuptials is Catherine Jones in Cambridge. The firm, which is owned by mother and son team Vanessa and Matthew Burkitt, has begun selling replica diamond engagement rings.
It first sold the diamond rings when Princess Diana wed Prince Charles three decades ago. The real version was reported to have cost £28,000 when Diana chose it, although the replicas are not so expensive.
The items carry an oval, faceted sapphire surrounded by diamonds.
Commenting on her decision to resell the rings, Ms Burkitt stated: “We wanted to make a series of rings that were affordable for the modern pocket. The value of Kate’s ring is incalculable because we don’t know the quality of her sapphire, which is huge at 18 carats, nor the grade of the diamonds.”
She added that the sale of the rings in Cambridge is particularly significant because there is a possibility that William and Kate will become the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The jeweller went on to state: “We are a Cambridge family. I was at Churchill College and my son was at Trinity College, which is where Prince Charles was. Our ancestor was the first master of Trinity College.”
In the run up to the big day, a considerable quantity of royal wedding-themed items will be sold not only in the UK but abroad as well.